Mixed Berry Muffins

I really wish I was good at/knew anything about gardening. Aside from lots of beautiful flowers and bushes growing throughout my yard, I have my blueberry and blackberry bushes as well. Thankfully, they are low maintenance and just require me to pick the berries when they're ready...a job I share with a local black bear that also enjoys to eat our berries. He more-so tears down the branches and eats them, rather than my method of delicately picking them and letting out some choice curse words when the thorns attack my fingers.

That picture was taken a couple weeks ago, before any berries were ready and before I found out about our bear friend. I have a good 4 or 5 bushes in the back corner of the yard.

Each day, in the not-so-welcome humidity, Tess and I run around the yard and I take my bowls out to collect more berries.

After 3 double handfuls used in today's muffins...

Today's picking in the fridge...

I'm sort of kicking myself since summer school started this week and I mentioned that I would bring in some berries or items with berries in them for the kids. I chose today to bake...and we don't have school on Fridays...oh well, next week.

This recipe was really easy to make, and one where I will always have the ingredients for, so long as I have fresh milk and eggs. It's very basic, not too sweet, which I prefer. Some of the berries were very sweet, while others were a little tart, so there was a few flavors in each muffin. If you like a sweeter muffin, you could add a streusel topping. The muffins were very light and fluffy.

Mixed Berry Muffins
from Food.com

 4 cups all-purpose flour

1.5 cups sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 and 2/3 cups fresh berries(blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, your choice!)

1. Preheat oven to 400 and line 24 muffin cups.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and eggs.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Mix until just combined.

5. Fold in the berries (I did 3 double handfuls).

6. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Let cool for 5 minutes then move to a rack to cool completely.